teenager had some success in New Jersey

[georgekunz]

Both my boy and girl got up on their softboards....we are going next to oahu staying on the North Shore in August - very flat I know. First of all,
which board would you recommend we rent for the week. I'm probably going to bring a "soft" carrying system so i can travel the board to appropriate waves (3-4 ft?)....any suggestions and any particular areas might you recommend as far as safer undertoes, welcoming surfers for beginners etc.

[jaffa1949]

George , I‘m curios about your choices for the north shore of Oahu!
yes it is the mostly flat season but 3 to 4ft if a swell comes through well not be as benign as you think for beginners who have just stood up on soft boards!
Your asking for where to go is great!
Do you surf?

[waikikikichan]

Have you checked the prices for rental cars on Oahu ? It's about $500 a day ( if you can even find one ).

Best is to learn in Waikiki, on the South shore. ( if you need recommendations for a good surf instructor, let me know )

[georgekunz]

all the better for smaller waves. If its 1-2 feet waves that keep my kids happy, there are some of those on the North Shore according to the surf report. I bet that's what we had in Ship Bottom, NJ...it was really safe and fun...as to the rental car cost, why stop at 500$, why not say 5,000$! I've had a reservation for 8 months and went through the same anxiety going to Florida during spring break. when i arrived at the airport, each rental car place had a "cars available" sign at the airport. It's hard to believe what you read on the internet.

[Oldie]

Have you checked the prices for rental cars on Oahu ? It's about $500 a day ( if you can even find one ).

Best is to learn in Waikiki, on the South shore. ( if you need recommendations for a good surf instructor, let me know )

Out of curiosity and as we still have that trip on our mind, I just checked and it is indeed super expensive, though more like 250-300$, and availability seems to be ok. Is that price level normal or due to the pandemic? I assume there are not many alternatives to rental cars?

[jaffa1949]

You need to consider the bottom , Waikiki has an entirely different beach set up than the North Shore, where most of the breaks are related to underlying reefs and coral set ups! Apart from those hazards, in each section wave action generates rips, side currents, backwash and shorebreak.
Waikiki breaks are geared for and are tolerant of learners, north shore not tolerant of people who place themselves and others at some risk!
I am curious as to why you want the north shore for your learner kids!

[georgekunz]

im staying in the North Shore, in short. Im very glad , though, to have this information about being safe...how about the windward side or the east side...might that be less treacherous?....dont know the economics of the rental car business but it's a costly factor these days unlike the price of airline tickets.

[jaffa1949]

Broadly speaking the North Shore goes from Haleiwa to Turtle bay there are some learner family surf schools you can look up along the miracle stretch, they will help and yes it most likely to be flat.
West Coast has Makaha but with your level of surfing kids I would look to a surf school or Waikiki as Waikikikichan suggests.
If you are staying at Turtlebeach resort or Marriots they may have some suggestions or links to schools.
Seriously I would be using a surf school or guide!

[georgekunz]

thx jaffa...do you think these kids might "graduate" to a surfboard and not a softboard?

[jaffa1949]

thx jaffa...do you think these kids might "graduate" to a surfboard and not a softboard?

Just go and have fun, the first sessions maybe soft, then as the skill improve maybe hard boards, standing up up is not a criteria for having some success, being pushed into waves or catching white water is not surfing ( it is a start).
Catching unbroken waves by your own paddling first success riding across the wave with some minor turn a second success.
It evolves from there!
The answer. short form, I have no idea how successful your kids were!